Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| este | /ˈeste/ | masculine, alternative form |
| esto | /ˈesto/ | neuter |
| éste | /ˈeste/ | masculine |
| esta | /ˈesta/ /ˈeta/ (Puerto Rico) |
feminine |
Use este or esta to indicate something that is physically close to the speaker. Use the neuter form esto to refer to an abstract idea, a situation or an object whose specific gender is unknown, rather than a specific noun.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on the gender and nature of what you are pointing to. Use este for masculine nouns, esta for feminine nouns and esto for neuter. Este and éste are both masculine forms, where este is an alternative spelling of éste.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as a demonstrative adjective before a noun, este and esta do not take an accent mark. Additionally, the words este, esta and aqueste can be used as determiners to refer to a known (thing) about to be mentioned.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈeste/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use esto to modify a specific noun (e.g., saying esto libro instead of este libro), but esto can never function as an adjective for a noun.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish dialects, este and esta can be used to introduce a person or thing that the speaker is about to name, even if it is not physically close.
- The term aqueste is an archaic form of 'this' that survives in some literature and specific regional dialects.
- Using esto to refer to a situation allows a speaker to encapsulate an entire previous sentence or idea as a single 'thing'.
Examples in context
- Esto y no más.This and no more.This sentence is useful for expressing a limit or a finality using esto.Tatoeba #2268897 by cueyayotl, translation #2268896 by _undertoad
- Este es su CD.This CD belongs to her.This sentence shows how to identify a specific masculine object using este.Tatoeba #5050632 by don_ramon, translation #61387 by CK
- Esto ya lo sé.I already know this.This sentence demonstrates using esto to refer to a known fact or situation.Tatoeba #5178203 by cueyayotl, translation #5165738 by CK
- Esto es hermosoThis is beautiful
- Este libro es interesanteThis book is interesting
- Este cocheThis car
- Esta casaThis house
- Estos librosThese books
- Estas floresThese flowers
- 12792 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are looking at a new phone in a store.
- Mateo¿Te gusta este teléfono?Do you like this phone?
- ElenaSí, este modelo es excelente.Yes, this model is excellent.
- MateoEs un poco caro.It is a little expensive.
- ElenaPero vale la pena.But it is worth it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “this” translations and entries este, esto, éste, esta, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
